This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-106582, filed Apr. 14, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a blur preventing system of a camera, and particularly to a blur preventing system applied to a camera having a blur preventing function.
Conventionally, an image-pickup apparatus, such as a camera, has a blur preventing function in order to prevent an influence of camera-shake on image movement during picture taking.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,930 and 5,099,694 disclose a blur detecting technique, in which blur detecting, controlling and correcting means are incorporated in an interchangeable lens section, and a predetermined correcting operation is executed in accordance with a timing signal (first and second release signals 1R and 2R) supplied from the camera body, so that image movement due to the camera-shake can be prevented. Various techniques have been developed using such a blur detecting technique.
According to the above conventional art, since a blur correcting operation is performed in accordance with the camera operation timing, a certain power is consumed, while a blur preventing switch (SW) of the lens section is on.
Although, therefore, a blur preventing effect can be expected at any time, there may be a case where the blur preventing operation is unnecessary or the operator wishes to avoid such an operation so far as possible in order to minimize the power consumption and increase the number of pictures taken in a limited time, if the exposure time is clearly shorter than 1/f, for example.
For this purpose, it is only necessary to keep the blur preventing switch SW off in general. However, in this case, the blur preventing operation is not performed at all. Thus, there is fear of occurrence of image movement due to the camera-shake or the like.
The present invention was made to overcome the above problem of the conventional art. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a blur preventing system for efficiently preventing blur, in which blur preventing modes can be switched to each other, depending on photographing conditions or a state of use of the camera, or the operator""s intention.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blur preventing system of a camera comprising:
blur detecting means for detecting a blurred state of a camera body;
photographing condition determining means for determining photographing conditions and a state of use of the camera body;
first blur preventing means for performing a first blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting means;
second blur preventing means for performing a second blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting means; and
blur preventing control means for selecting one of the first and second blur preventing means in accordance with a result of determination by the photographing conditions determining means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blur preventing system of a camera comprising:
a blur detecting section for detecting a blurred state of a camera body;
a photographing condition determining section for determining photographing conditions and a state of use of the camera body;
a first blur preventing section for performing a first blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting section;
a second blur preventing section for performing a second blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting section;
a blur preventing control section for selecting one of the first and second blur preventing sections in accordance with a result of determination by the photographing conditions determining section; and
a blur preventing mode selecting section, connected to the blur preventing control section, to allow the blur preventing control section to switch control modes.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blur preventing system of a camera comprising:
a blur detecting section for detecting a blurred state of a camera body;
a photographing condition determining section for determining photographing conditions and a state of use of the camera body;
a first blur preventing section for performing a first blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting section;
a second blur preventing section for performing a second blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of blur detection by the blur detecting section;
a blur preventing control section for selecting one of the first and second blur preventing sections in accordance with a result of determination by the photographing conditions determining section.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blur preventing method of a camera comprising the steps of:
detecting a blurred state of a camera body;
determining photographing conditions and a state of use of the camera body;
selecting one of a first and second blur preventing operations to be performed in accordance with a result of determination of the photographing conditions and the state of use;
performing the first blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of detection of blur of the camera body, if the first blur preventing operation is selected to be performed; and
performing the second blur preventing operation in accordance with a result of detection of blur of the camera body, if the second blur preventing operation is selected to be performed.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.